Max and her squad of pokemon worked deep in the Oreburgh mine, under the (somewhat) supervision of Roark. Max took notes and helped with uncoverings, Eris moved dirt and rocks, Joker kept the ground workable, and Noir dusted their findings. Will-o-wisps from the ghost type kept the chamber lit along side Max and Eris's hard hat lights.

The box next to the exit was full of bones and ores, a couple of jewels as well. Their haul today was one of they best they've had in a long time.

"Okay guys, we're just about done here." Max called, closing her notebook. "Let's clean up and haul out. Excellent work today; poffins all around!" This earned a round of excited cried as they all began the clean up process.

There was a rumble through the cavern and the ground under Joker opened, pulling the Vaporeon into the dark below.

"Joker!!" Max dove for her friend, her fingertips brushing the Vaporeon's tail fin. There was a thud and a cry, and before Eris or Noir could stop her, Max tossed herself down the hole.

The guardian landed hard, rolling to the side and groaning in pain. Pain shot up through her ankle, red flags flying around her mind.

"Ow... Fuck!" She hissed and tapped her ankle, sending another surge of white hot pain up her leg. "...either sprained or broken." Max looked up, seeing Eris and Noir looking down at her. It was at least 15ft. "Go get help, I'm gonna tend to Joker and try to find an alternate way out."

Her two pokemon disappeared and Max crawled over to her injured pokemon. "Hey... Joker, you're gonna be okay. Let's find a way out, baby girl."

Fighting through her own pain, she gently lifted her pokemon into her arms and forced herself to stand. Her headlamp was busted in the fall, so it left using aura to see as her only option. Max closed her eyes and focused, beginning her trek through the tunnels.

After a long while, she began feeling the strain of the extensive usage of Aura Sight. That combined with the fire in her ankle and the weight of the water type in her arms. Max heavily sat down against one of the cavern walls, wiping the sweat and dirt from her brow. Her other hand was place comfortingly on Joker's side as she whispered hoarse words of hope to her friend. The two wearily looked around as there was another rumble in the earth around them. The young explorer covered the Vaporeon with her body in case there were to be a collapse. Instead, the floor gave away once more.

And once more, the two were swallowed by the dark.

Max slowly opened her eyes, Joker desperately pawing at her cheek.

Right... Max had made sure to land first.

She sat up, gasping in pain. If her ankle wasn't broken before, it was now. As she looked about, she realized that they were surrounded by an eerie blue light. Max dragged herself over to one of the sources, her eyes widening in amazement.

"Joker, come here. I want to show you something." She called, the Vaporeon limping over. "This is a time flower; incredibly rare and their existence dates back further than Sir Aaron. Using one's aura..." The tip of Max's index finger glows as she taps the top of the flower, causing it to open and images pulsate out. "One can look into the past."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The scene in the flower seemed to take place many years ago, judging by the equipment the explorers had. The ceiling above them was open, ropes coming down. ~It looked like this part of the cave was open exploration zone at one point...~ Max thought as she and Joker watched the scene.

"Professor, I'm getting a bad feeling about being down here." One of the explorers spoke, placing a hand to the dripping cavern wall. His gaze shifted about in a way that made Max uncomfortable.

"Jericho, if you don't want to go further, then go home." The professor retorted, not looking up from his notes. "Otherwise, quit your bitching and proceed."A rumbling filled the cavern and everyone clung to the walls and rock formations until it stopped.

"What was th-"

The wall to their left shook violently before collapsing, revaling another passage. this one had a faint glow at the end, several hundred feet away. Max looked to the wall through the illusion, seeing that that passage was long since collapsed. The vision ended with the exploration team making their way towards the light.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Max dragged herself to her feet groaning in immense pain from her ankle. Joker breathed a weak icy wind over her partner's swollen ankle creating an ice brace, as well as a cold pack to ease the pain.

"Thanks, Joker. I don't know what I'd do without you." Max smiled and forced herself over to the wall. "Now... what do we do about this? Any ideas?"

"Pooooor?"

"Perhaps, but It'll make things a bit harder if we acutally get in danger."

Max placed her palm to the wall and closed her eyes, ignoring her pain and focusing everything she had into her hand. The rocks beneath her glowed bright blue as a shockwave was emitted. The wall crumbled to dust and the aura guardian dropped to her knees, breathing hard. Joker placed a paw to the human's knee and sprayed a gentle mist into her face, then using her tail to clean off Max's face.

"Thanks, buddy. Come on, I see the light they saw."

The two proceeded further into the cave system, towards the evergrowing light before them. They shielded their eyes as they stepped into the brightness. As their eyes adjusted, they were met with an incredible sight. Massive crystal cluters jutted from the walls and floors and thousands of tiny ones littered the ceiling, each one giving off a blue light. Max was drawn to the large one in the center, feeling it radiate it's own aura.

"Joker... this place is alive." She pulled out her notebook and took notes; what she saw, smelled, felt, even how the air tasted (It was pretty damn fresh). "This is amazing... Look for a time flower! There may be one here!"

Joker and Max scowered the area for a time flower, finding one growing out of one of the crystals, hidden very well from almost all angles, almost inside one. She reached down in and barely manages to touch the tip of the flower, another memory erupting from within.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was only the Professor and the explorer Jericho, the rest of their team nowhere to be seen. Jericho's face was stained with tears, but the professor remained stoic."S-Sir... We have to turn back. That pokemon slaughtered everyone! We're next!" The explorer begged and pleaded.

"Not a chance!" The Professor shook his head. "This place is a gold mine's worth of research! I can feel the life in each crystal, and how it echoes to the world around us... It's simply too astounding and groundbreaking to let alone. If you're so terrified, then perhaps you should have turned back when you had the chance. Now if you'll excuse me..." the professor pushed past Jericho and began taking small samples of the dirt, and a few pieces of broken crystals. He bottled them and stowed them away in his gear for safe keeping as he then pulled out a notebook and began noting everything down.

Jericho's pleading look turned to one of disgust. While the professor was absorbed in his notes, the explorer dipped down behind a rock, out of sight.

~What's he doing...~ Max wondered, completely unaware of the scene about to play out.

The sound of metal scraping together echoed through the cavern, making Joker cover her ears and whimper in discomfort. From behind the rock emerged a Kabutops, hissing angrily. The professor looked up with wide eyes, dropping his notes. The fossil pokemon's bladed arms ripped into the man, hissing hungrily and ignoring the shouts of pain and fear.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Max covered Joker's eyes and ears as best as she could as she tried to close off the time flower. The two of them sat there in silence after the flower closed, Jokers curled up on Max's lap. There was no sign of any rescue; they may be trapped down here for the rest of their time. The time flower's memory worried Max greatly. While it seemed Jericho was human, Fossil Pokemon could live hundreds of years.

"...Take a rest, Joker... We're okay." The aura guardian closed her eyes, breathing hard. The Vaporeon looked up at her partner with worry, but soon followed suit.

Their rest was uneasy, to say the least. Max woke up every few minutes in a mild panic and flames racing up her leg. The ice brace had long since melted away, leaving nothing but pain and swelling. Max knew she wouldn't be able to get up from this point on, so if something were to come for them, they were sitting duckletts.

The sound grew closer. Max strained her ears to hear better; the sound of metal scraping against stone and metal. She shuddered, attempting to mentally prepare herself for what may happen.

~Eris, if you can somehow hear me... This may be the end. There's something down here that killed explorers in the past; A human that could become a pokemon and vice versa. As fascinating as that actually is, It's incredibly dangerous. I've never been more proud of you and Noir; your bravery and loyalties are second to none... I love you.~

Jericho came into view an unbridled hunger in his eyes. He stood several feet from the incapacitated trainer, swaying in place, studying her and Joker. Max stared him down, continuing the comforting strokes she delivered to the pokemon sleeping on her lap. The humanoid in front of her chuckled and moved closer, examining her further."You have... the scent of an explorer..." it whispered hoarsely, tracing a blade down her cheek. "I love explorers... The always have a dusty taste to them..."

"...If you're going to kill me," Max responded with a slight shake to her voice. "...Please take my Vaporeon to the surface, or at least as close as you can. I want her to live even if I cant."

The Kabutops moved back, hissing. "You do not care if you yourself perish?"

As carefully as she could, Max placed Joker onto the ground and forced herself to stand; except she immediately dropped to a knee. "As... long as my partners are safe... I don't care. So... Just make it quick." As she managed to finally get up.

The blade made a clean entrance into her abdomen, blood dripping as the fossil removed it swiftly. Max looked down at the wound, red slowly blossoming across her torn and dirty clothing. She stumbled back and slid down the wall.

"...This truly is a magnificent place, full of knowledge... and the unknown." she commented. "But I understand why you would want... to keep this protected. Its your home... your energy... I feel it..." Max chuckled weakly. "A discovery upon dying eyes... Be well, Joker. I love you."

Max awakened in a bed several days later, Joker pawing ar her cheek and Noir holding her hand with a shadowy tendril. Eris was pacing restlessly, stopping as his partnet stirred.

"Maxwell! You're awake, thank Arceus...." Eris placed a paw to Max's forehead, a soothing feeling washing over the human. "You've been out of it for almost a week."

"...What happened?"

"We found you quite a ways away from where you and Joker fell. We also managed to recover your research bag." Eris held up a tattered bag with an old notebook sticking out among other things.

"That isnt..." Max took it and looked inside, her eyes widening. Samples from multiple crystals and dirts, as well as a piece of foreign metal; a part of the Kabutops blade. Alongside the journal, was a note.

~This is much better off in the hands of someone such as yourself. -J~

Max smiled. She wasn't too sure what happened after she went under, and she probably never would find out. All she knew, is that there was an unsaid promise alongside these items; a promise she intended on keeping.